Father’s Day is Sunday, June 15, 2014.

If your dad is like mine, he can be a little (scratch that – a lot) hard to shop for. I know he loves when I get him something personalized, but several engraved keychains and picture frames later, I had run out of ideas (and I think he’d run out of desk space). Then I realized something. My dad is extra special. Why should I get him something “typical” for Father’s Day (#1 dad mug? new tie?) when I can give him something that shows him the many ways in which he’s special to me.

So, I started to make a list of all the things my dad has taught me. Turns out, there are a ton of cool gifts I can give him. Watch this short video to see what I’m talking about:

In the U.S. the #1 health problem isn’t cancer, heart disease or even obesity. It’s addiction. One in 12 adults have an alcohol problem and the numbers are higher for illegal drug use and prescription pill abuse. Chances are you or someone you know struggles with an addiction of some kind.

Thanks to AA and other substance abuse recovery programs, more Americans are getting sober every day. For someone who has beat an addiction, every day of sobriety is something to celebrate. Reaching sobriety milestones – 30 days sober, 6 months, 1 year and beyond are major accomplishments for recovering alcoholics or drug addicts. Programs refer to these milestones as anniversaries or birthdays.

Is your sister celebrating her 1-year sober birthday? Maybe your husband has been clean for 10 years. Your son might have come out of rehab a new man who you’re so proud of him for making the commitment to clean and sober living.

Recovery gifts are a wonderful way to show your support for your friends and family members who struggle with addiction.

Get them something besides a chip or a coin to express how important their sobriety is to you. Some gift ideas include:

♦ Engrave a family bookmark to thank your husband or wife for choosing family over addiction.

♦ Personalize a Big Book wooden memory box and fill it with notes of all the good times you’ve enjoyed together since your mom or dad has gotten clean.

Gifts include Kyle’s exclusive etched metal designs that are symbolic of new beginnings and recovered families, such as the sunset, tree of life, cross, Big Book and more. Every item is handcrafted and customized with your color choices and many gifts can also be engraved. Personalize a sobriety night light, keychain, locket, pill box, ornament, jewelry box or other meaning gift for someone you love. Click Shop Recovery Gifts for Kyle’s exclusive selection of sobriety themed products.

Meaningful Sobriety Quotes

“AA is not for people who need it, its for people who want it.”

“If you’re not moving away from a drink you’re moving closer to it.”

“Sobriety is a journey; not a destination.”

“Call your sponsor before, not after, you take the first drink”

“We can be positive that our drinking was negative”

“If I think, I won’t drink. If I drink, I can’t think.”

“Even my worst day in sobriety is better than my best day drunk.”

“When all else fails, the directions are in the Big Book.”

“Why recovery never ends: the disease is alcoholISM, not alcoholWASM!”

“A coincidence is a miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous.”

“Having a resentment is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die.”

“An alcoholic without a sponsor is like leaving Dracula in charge of the blood bank.”

“The first thing in the human personality that dissolves in alcohol is dignity.”

“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” -Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

“Alcoholism isn’t a spectator sport. Eventually the whole family gets to play.” -Joyce Rebeta-Burditt

“If drinking is interfering with your work, you’re probably a heavy drinker. If work is interfering with your drinking, you’re probably an alcoholic.”

Voluntary water usage cut-backs have become mandatory here in the Bay Area. We’ve been told to collect the shower water that spills out as we wait for it to get hot in the morning and find a use for it such as watering our plants. We’re supposed to turn off the water while we brush our teeth and scrape our dinner plate scrappings into the trash instead of rinsing them down the sink. Showering used to be a nice way to relax underneath the flow of the hot water but is now a game of “How Fast Can I Get This Done?” and building guilt over how much water is spilling down the drain. I can’t even think about stepping onto my driveway with soap, hose and car wash bucket.

As much as I hate the rain, living through the drought is worse. Obviously it effects so much more than my little world of quick showers and a dirty car. But in my little world, I sometimes forget about the drought. My husband does too, and I remind him when I think his hand washing session is running a tad long. Don’t worry, he has plenty of opportunities to remind me too 😉

What better way to keep water conservation at the front of your mind than with a little reminder? Buy a water drop bookmark, badge reel or money clip to help you and those around you stay focused on doing our parts to get us through this drought. Kyle has several gifts featuring her water droplet design – shop water conservation gifts to customize yours.

My mom had some strange things in her purse. I think most moms do. And many can relate over the odd items swimming around in their handbags. A child’s sock. A toy car. A sticky, leftover snack your toddler didn’t finish…a week ago. Usual mom stuff.

My mom was different though. There were odd items that were intentionally there so that she’d have them if the situation arose in which she may need – or shall I say, want – them. One of those items was a little bottle of cherry grenadine. My mom loved diet cherry coke. But not the kind sold by the Coca-Cola company, the kind you make by adding just the right amount of grenadine to your soda. A meal at a restaurant just wouldn’t be the same if she had to…gasp!…drink plain diet Coke. So, there in her purse sat a little bottle waiting to transform her drink if we stopped to grab a bite while we were out. And we always stopped to grab a bite while we were out.

For some people, there are certain small pleasures in life that aren’t worth missing. Perhaps it takes a certain sweetener to make your sweet tea just right. Or maybe you’re traveling and can’t imagine a morning without your specific brand of black or green tea. You might be trying to watch your weight and want to be sure you have your artificial sweetener with you next time you dine out.

For carrying just a few sugar packets in a nice, compact case, you’ll want to order her slim sugar packet holder (shown below). It comes in gold or silver and you can choose from over 500 of Kyle’s cute designs. You can also add your favorite iridescent accent color and customize it with an engraving. This case comes in a thin or deep version. About 3 packets fit in the thin one and 5 fit into the deep case.

To carry a larger capacity of sugar packets or to travel with your tea bags, customize a travel tea bag case. These metal boxes offer a sturdy way to protect your tea and sugar packets on the go. Get one with Kyle’s decorative tea pot or coffee cup design (shown below), or choose from hundreds of other creative etchings.

Whatever small items you’re looking to carry in your purse, keep them protected and easily accessible with a stylish metal case that’s custom made just for you. This may not have worked for my mom’s grenadine, but I can’t go away overnight without my bags of Lipton cold-brew tea, so this case is perfect for me.

Shop unique gifts at Kyle Design, where every gift is handcrafted in the design and color of your choice.

Nurses rock, don’t they?

I’m absolutely loving this nurse’s quote by Rawsi Williams. I know so many hard-working nurses so I love that there’s a whole week that celebrates the men and women who have worked so hard to be where they’re at today. Every year I make an effort to make my favorite nurses feel special on Nurse’s Day, which is May 6th. I love to send my sister-in-law an engraved RN keychain or vintage nurse hat badge reel. My cousin adores the personalized nursing swag I send her way too.

The truth is, everyone loves to feel special. Nurses spend somuch of their day caring for other people’s needs and so little time caring for their own.

It doesn’t take much effort to honor a nurse, but it will absolutely make their day. Shop unique nurse gifts at Kyle Design to customize an affordable gift for a special nurse in your life. They say it’s better to give than to receive – experience the feel-good that comes from making someone else feel special. It’ll probably outlast Nurse’s Day for you. But for the nurse you honor, that feel-good won’t wear off for at least a week.

For many high school students, senior year is their final year of sports. Make their end-of-season party all the more special with an engraved ornament keepsake from Kyle Design. Kyle’s handcrafted, beaded sports ornaments can be engraved with each athlete’s name, their school and the year. Or, add your own inspirational message as you congratulate them on their hard work and wish them success in their futures.

If you’re looking for the perfect gift to give seniors as end of season gifts, you’ll love Kyle’s custom ornaments featuring her etched metal sports designs. Shop water polo, tennis, softball, cheer, hockey, golf, lacrosse, track, swimming and other popular sports designs. Each ornament can be personalized with high school team or squad colors and individualized engravings. Kyle’s unique sports gift ornaments for end of season presentations make fantastic gifts for coaches too.

How to Order a Custom Sports Ornament from Kyle Design

There are 2 easy ways to order an end of season sports keepsake ornament for coaches and seniors.

1. Click to Shop Sports Ornaments – find your sport and select it to order in gold or silver and personalize with accent colors and engraving.

2. For a fully customized ornament, click Customize My Own Sports Ornament – you can choose from 7 of Kyle’s decorative ornament shapes in silver or gold, add any sport, hand select the accent, ribbon and bead colors, and add a personalized engraved message.

It’s that easy! Your unique athletic awards will be handcrafted in Kyle’s Northern California studio and shipped out within just 1-2 business days (that includes engraved award ornaments). So even if you’re looking for last-minute gifts, these custom end of season ornament awards are the perfect solution.

There’s nothing more special than receiving a gift that is so perfect it feels like it was made just for you. Actually, there is 1 thing that’s more special – giving the perfect gift. When you shop at Kyle Design, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing, because every gift is personalized by you and then handcrafted by us. Find the perfect nursing gift for your niece who’s graduating with her nursing degree. Find the right present for your son who will soon be a physical therapist. Perhaps your daughter is graduating with a degree in teaching, communications, or law. Or maybe your grandson is graduating with honors in science, graphic design or computer programming. Kyle has created over 500 etched metal designs which means you’ll find the career gift that is perfect for him or her.

Ditch that plain, boring badge reel and replace it with a fun, colorful, retractable badge holder that reflects your personality. Whether you prefer a lightweight, plastic badge reel with a nylon cord or a heavy-duty metal reel with a steel cord, you can easily order a decorative reel that fits your style.

Kyle Design carries 10 different styles of retractable badge reels ranging from the super lightweight to the super heavy duty. Each work ID badge holder comes with a decorative metal center featuring one of Kyle’s unique artistic designs. There’s truly something for everyone – baseball for the sports fan, artistic designs for the creative thinker, dogs for the pet lover, fashion themes for women, occupation themes for your office, numbers, monogram letters – and so much more!

Simply click to select a reel with the features you desire – for example a nylon cord verses a steel cord or a fully colored reel verses one with only a gold or silver design.

Once you select the perfect badge reel for you, customize it. Use the design chooser to customize the center design. Shown here are 2 of Kyle’s designs – high heel shoes in gold and a silver decorative crest – but there are hundreds to choose from. Select any design in gold or silver.

Finally, select a color for your new badge holder. Our sample reels are purple and teal but you can also have red, pink, blue, orange, black, yellow, green…you get the point.

Click unique decorative badge reels to get started. Customize a reel for yourself or for a co-worker’s birthday, your son or daughter’s first day at a new job, or as a fun welcome gift for a new employee.

Teen girls can be difficult to shop for since clothing and jewelry trends change so often. But with all the selfies being posting nearly around the clock we do know 1 thing teens love, and that’s looking at themselves. If you’re shopping for a birthday gift for your daughter or niece, get her something you know she’ll use – a personalized decorative mirror from Kyle Design.

If you haven’t shopped Kyle Design before, then I’ll let you in on a little secret our shoppers have been taking advantage of for awhile – every gift is personalized just for you.

Every gift that you see can be completely transformed. For instance, this framed mirror is maple, but you can order it in 6 other finishes to match your teen’s room – black, silver, white, cherry and more. That hot pink color peaking out from behind the “K” – well, if your teen is crazy about blue or yellow or purple you can change that too. There are 30 awesome color choices. And the monogram letter K – that comes in silver and gold. But if you don’t want the letter K, there are 500 other design choices to fill that space. You can add your daughter’s monogram letter, age, astrological sign, favorite sport, favorite animal, hobby, food, nature and weather designs….the list goes on and on. Each design was created by the talented female artist Kyle McKeown Mansfield. And each gift available on her gift site – www.kyledesigns.com – comes handcrafted with your favorite colors and designs.

Kyle’s handcrafted framed mirrors for teens can hang on a wall (perfect for selecting jewelry) or sit on a table or counter top (great for putting on makeup). Personalize one for your favorite girl on her birthday, graduation or other special occasion.

I have a bit of a bad habit. Every January I commit to getting in shape. I keep it up until I reach my goal, then I treat myself to some pizza here, some Chinese takeout there, and a lot less time being active. See, by then, summer has rolled around and my idea of the perfect afternoon involves relaxing by the pool, not pushing myself on the elliptical. So, by the end of the year I’ve put back all the weight I worked so hard to lose and during the first week of January I step back onto the elliptical feeling like I’ve never worked out a day in my life. And the healthy food on my dinner plate isn’t near as appealing as the greasy fair I’ve become accustomed to.

Sigh.

Sound familiar? Whether you’ve got a chronic case of yo-yo dieting or you’ve put on some weight that you’d like to remove by bikini season – either through a sedentary lifestyle, overindulging during the holidays, or having a baby – it helps to have specific goals in mind. Below are some tips for setting goals that can be reached.

17 Essential Tips for Losing Weight

1. Set specific goals for weight and achievement date.

If I plan to lose 25 pounds but don’t have a date in mind, nothing is going to push me to get there. Look at how much you have to lose, pull out a calendar, and realistically determine how much time it’s going to take you to get there. For me, losing 2 pounds a week is doable. So, if I plan to lose 25 pounds, I’ll set my goal date for 13 weeks out. But that is nowhere near the end of goal setting! You must…

2. Make sure your goal date is realistic.

Losing 2 pounds a week is realistic. You will probably lose more in the beginning if you’re dramatically changing your lifestyle. I go from no physical activity and wolfing down entire Panda Express dinners with 2 sodas to working out 4-5 days a week, eating small servings of grilled chicken and steamed veggies, and cutting out soda altogether. So the first week is a total success as my body goes through the shock of this new lifestyle. But then things slow down and 1-2 pounds is the norm. It’s better to reach your goal early than be nowhere near your dream weight on your goal date, so make it realistic or you’ll end up disappointed.

3. Set mini goals.

Mini goals ensure you’re staying on track. I set weekly goals. This way, I can really take into account those occasions in which I won’t lose – and may even gain – weight, and be sure they don’t keep me from reaching my end goal on time.

There are times that keeping to a workout schedule or eating healthy won’t be practical. If I have a week-long vacation planned, a birthday to celebrate, or a even a weekend out of town, I can anticipate that there will be setbacks. I know that when I travel it’s difficult to eat healthy and control my portions. If I’m in Chicago, I can’t go without Chicago-style pizza (and I can’t stop after 1 or 2 slices) or Duncan Donuts. If it’s my birthday, I’ll be eating a big dinner out and feasting on cake for at least a few days. And that’s OK! Total deprivation isn’t the key to dieting success. Staying committed is. Look at your calendar and see what events, vacations, or special occasions occur between now and your goal date. This will come into play in the next step…

You may have trips or other calorie fests already on the calendar. Don’t let those be an excuse to delay getting started on your program. Just be sure to build them into your mini goals. For example, let’s say that 5 weeks into my new healthy lifestyle I have a 4 day trip planned, Thursday through Sunday. I know that on Wednesday (the night before my trip) by the time I get off of work, get my nails done, run any last-minute errands and finish packing there will be no time for working out. So I basically have Monday and Tuesday to work out, which means I may only lose 1/2 to 1 pound that week. Then, I’ll essentially be reverting back to my old lifestyle for 4 days because I tend to lose all control when I travel. So there’s a good chance I’ll gain 2 or 3 pounds during my trip. So if the week before my trip my goal was 138, my goal for my weigh-in the morning after I return will be 140 max. Then, I’ll get right back into my routine and have a goal of 138 for the end of the week. If I reach it or beat it I’m happy. If you know you can make healthy eating choices on your trip or you’ll only be gone for a couple of days, you may want to plan to maintain the previous week’s weight while you’re gone.

5. Put your goals in writing.

Now that you’ve set specific and realistic goals, put them in writing. Print out a calendar and fill in your goals. Hang it up on the fridge or near your scale so you can easily keep track of your goals.

Fitness Themed Metal Wallet for Weight Loss Goals

Even better – engrave your goals into a fitness themed metal wallet (or mini pill box or bookmark). With an engraved metal wallet, you can put money into your “fitspiration” wallet every time you finish a workout. Then, you’ll have all the money you need already set aside to treat yourself when you reach certain mini goals – like a pedicure after you lose the first 15 pounds.

.

.

.

.

6. Weigh yourself at the same time.

The best time to weigh yourself is in the morning, naked, before you eat or drink anything and after you pee. If that’s how you weigh in one day, but another day you weigh with clothes on after you’ve eaten dinner, you’re not going to get an accurate reading of how your weight loss is going. And you’re going to be discouraged for no reason! Make it a habit to only weigh in the morning.

7. Use goal tracking tools to chart your progress.

Print out a calendar, download a fitness app on your phone or tablet, or join a website like SparkPeople that tracks your weight loss.

8. Keep a log of your workouts and eating habits.

You’ll lose weight faster if you pay attention to what you’re eating, how much you’re eating, and what types of workouts get results for you. Write down everything you eat and drink daily as well as what specifically you did to work out. If you’re on the treadmill, jot down how far you went, how long it took you and how many calories you burned. Did you do weight training? Make a note of it. Then, you can review your most successful weight loss weeks and see what types of foods and exercises contributed to that success.

Not only does keeping a workout log help you determine what blasts fat the fastest….you’ll love seeing the improvements in your physical fitness as time goes on. When you’re running 5 miles it will feel good to look back at when you struggled to get through 1 mile. And that will inspire you to keep going.

9. Switch up your routine.

Doing the exact same routine day in and day out not only gets boring, but after awhile it won’t get results. So switch it up. If you typically use the treadmill or elliptical, take your workout outside for sprints in the park. Pop into some of the classes your gym offers. Sign up for boot camp. Borrow a friend’s P90X or Insanity DVDs. Browse the web for circuit workouts. Grab a friend and hit the basketball or tennis court. Go hiking with your dog. There are lots of ways to keep from getting bored and prevent yourself from reaching a plateau.

10. Know that interval training is best.

Intervals are always better than a steady pace. Sprints followed by periods of rest burn more calories and boost your metabolism more than going at a steady pace for your entire workout. This can be done while running in your neighborhood, on a track or treadmill, or on an elliptical or exercise bike. Go as hard as you can for 1 minute, then rest for 3 minutes and then repeat 6 times. You can adjust the times as needed, but be sure to give yourself enough time to get your heart rate down between sprints.

11. Don’t forget your muscles!

Strength training is key. It doesn’t matter if you are female and don’t want to “bulk up” and your only goal is to shed the lbs. The fact is you’ll lose the weight faster if you have more muscle. Muscle boosts your metabolism which means your body burns more calories when you’re at rest if you’ve been weight training. So grab some dumbbells and start sculpting some muscle!

12. Music matters – create a killer playlist.

I can’t tell you how many times I was ready to end my workout but then got re-inspired by just the right song coming through my headphones. Create a playlist that keeps you going. If there are songs that really get you fired up, save those for 1/2 way and then for 3/4 of the way through your workout – they will help get you to the finish line. Sites like ClickMix allow you to adjust the timing of your favorite songs so they’re fast and upbeat enough to keep you going.

13. Reward yourself!!!

Choose certain milestones (like every 10 or 20 pounds lost or fitting into a certain size of clothing) and reward yourself when you reach them. Go for a pedicure or massage or buy some new clothes – this will give you something extra to look forward to.

14. Find the time that works for you.

If you’re a night owl, setting your alarm for 5:00 a.m. and expecting to burst out of bed and fit in a workout before work is only going to set yourself up for failure. If you’re a morning person who is in bed by 9pm, doing a post-work workout isn’t going to work either. Think about what really fits into your schedule. For some people it’s the morning, for others it’s during a lunch break or after work, and some of us do our best at 10:00 p.m.

15. Dress the part.

Obviously you aren’t going to try to work out without the right attire. But when you put your workout gear on can make a difference. Put your gym clothes on right when you wake up (for an a.m. workout) or before you leave the office. If you’re already in your gym clothes when you head out the door, you’ll be less likely to talk yourself out of your workout.

16. Plan mealtimes around convenient workout times.

If you plan to work out after work, but you’re starving, you’ll be more likely to hit the McDonald’s drive thru than the gym. Or, you’re going to be so distracted and weak with hunger that you won’t give it your all. I have breakfast before work, a snack during the morning, and a very late lunch so that I can go straight to the gym after work and it’s only been 3 hours since my last meal. Find meal and workout times that don’t conflict.

17. Don’t beat yourself up when you get off track.

There will be days when temptation is too tough to resist. Maybe your boyfriend or husband brings home pizza or your dining out with friends and the chocolate dessert can’t be passed up. It’s OK to sneak some junk food here and there as long as it doesn’t lead to a week-long gluttonous feast in which you revert back to a sedentary lifestyle. Eat your bad meal – enjoy every bit – and then get back on track. You’ll often find that just 1 meal doesn’t lead to a setback.

Follow these 17 weight loss tips and you’ll be showing off that thinner you sooner than you think. Be consistent. Stay motivated. And remember, once you reach your goal, don’t be like (the old?) me. Yes, sneak in some of your old favorite treats like pizza, fries, or donuts, but don’t overdo it and don’t cut off all physical activity at the same time. Let’s reach our goals and keep the weight off together.